Assessment

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 (New Living Translation)

1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 4 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

Like Paul, every pastor/preacher/minister must make an assessment of the audience he is called to address. Is this judgment? I think not. It is Holy Spirit guided assessment in order to effectively share the Goods News.

What value would there be in speaking to the spiritually mature as if they were baby Christians? What value would there be in sharing with the baby Christian in deep theological … seminary laden … terminology?

For every Christian, as you share your testimony, ask the Holy Spirit to help you consider who you are talking to and the current status of their emotions (not yours … theirs). You are not judging them. You are making a Spirit guided assessment.